Monday, 8 September 2008

No Doubt It Was ‘Against His Human Rights’ Not To Let Him….

Reading Crown Court heard the mentally-ill patient had been taken by Hayes Hospital staff to watch horror films. …The court heard that Harkin, who also suffers from autistic spectrum disorder, was allowed to build a vast collection of horror and pornographic DVDs while being detained.

It gets better:

Harkin, a schizophrenic who killed his stepbrother, was jailed indefinitely.

He was at the low-security Hayes Hospital, in the village of Pilning near Bristol, for repeatedly stabbing his six-month-old stepbrother to death in his cot.

His behaviour became increasingly disturbed and he eventually fled the institution on 2 February.

A low-security hospital? And he’s getting more and more disturbed? Well, clearly the thing to do is leave him there.

The Recorder of Cardiff, Nicholas Cooke QC, raised concerns over why Harkin, who had a history of absconding, was moved to a low-security unit.

He also questioned why staff waited nearly half an hour before informing police and why they had previously let him watch violent films.

Well, no need to be hasty, is there? He might come back on his own, after all. And what’s he going to do, anyway? Rape some schoolgirl?